Daily Archives: July 29, 2025

Breaking, Business, Games, Gaming, News

Atari becomes major holder of Thunderful Group

In a move that’s both surprising and oddly poetic, Atari has acquired an 82% stake in Thunderful Group, the Swedish publisher behind beloved titles like SteamWorld, ISLANDERS, and Lost in Random. The €4.5 million deal marks a strategic expansion of Atari’s publishing and development capabilities across Europe—but it also feels like a nostalgic echo of the company’s golden age, when innovation and risk defined its DNA.

Thunderful, despite its creative pedigree, has faced turbulent times. After laying off 20% of its workforce in 2024 and initiating a restructuring plan, the company was in search of stability. Atari’s acquisition isn’t just a lifeline—it’s a calculated bet on Thunderful’s ability to rebound and contribute to Atari’s European ambitions.

Atari CEO Wade Rosen emphasized that Thunderful’s transformation plan and its critically acclaimed development teams are key to restoring profitability and expanding Atari’s footprint. The deal has already received unanimous support from Thunderful’s board and major shareholders, with final approval expected at an extraordinary general meeting on August 28, 2025.

This acquisition follows Atari’s recent spree of strategic purchases, including Nightdive Studios, Digital Eclipse, and even the rights to Transport Tycoon and Intellivision. It’s clear that Atari is no longer content with being a retro brand—it’s positioning itself as a modern publisher with deep roots and fresh ambitions.

🕹️ A Recap of Atari’s Corporate Odyssey

To understand the weight of this acquisition, we need to rewind the tape. Atari isn’t just a name—it’s a symbol of gaming’s origin story.

The Birth of a Titan (1972–1984)

  • Founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, Atari revolutionized gaming with Pong, the first commercially successful arcade game.
  • The company quickly expanded into home consoles, launching the Atari 2600 in 1977, which became a cultural icon and sold nearly 30 million units.
  • Atari was acquired by Warner Communications in 1976 for $28 million, fueling its meteoric rise.
  • By the early 1980s, Atari was the fastest-growing company in U.S. history, dominating both arcade and home gaming markets.

The Crash and Fragmentation (1983–1998)

  • The video game crash of 1983 hit Atari hard, with losses exceeding $500 million.
  • Warner sold the consumer division to Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, in 1984, forming Atari Corporation.
  • Atari struggled to compete with Nintendo and Sega, despite launching the Atari ST, Lynx, and Jaguar consoles.
  • In 1998, Hasbro Interactive acquired Atari’s assets for just $5 million, a stark contrast to its former glory.

Reinvention and Modern Moves (2001–Present)

  • French publisher Infogrames acquired Hasbro Interactive in 2001 and rebranded as Atari SA in 2009.
  • Under Wade Rosen’s leadership, Atari has embraced retro nostalgia while investing in blockchain, remasters, and now, strategic acquisitions like Thunderful.
  • The release of the Atari VCS in 2021 and the Atari XP cartridge initiative signal a commitment to honoring its legacy while exploring new frontiers.

Atari’s acquisition of Thunderful isn’t just a business transaction—it’s a statement. It’s a reminder that legacy brands can evolve, adapt, and even surprise us. For fans of physical media and gaming history (like you, Jesús), this move feels like a bridge between eras: the pixelated past and the procedural future.

Whether this partnership leads to new SteamWorld titles with Atari branding or a revitalized European publishing arm, one thing’s clear—Atari is no longer just playing the hits. It’s composing a new score.

Breaking, Games, Gaming, News, Playstation

Sony sues Tencent Games accusing Light Of Motiram similarities with Horizon Zero Dawn

In a move that’s shaking up the gaming industry, Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a federal lawsuit against Tencent, accusing the Chinese tech giant of producing a “slavish clone” of its critically acclaimed Horizon franchise. The game in question? Light of Motiram, an upcoming open-world survival title developed by Tencent subsidiary Polaris Quest. But this isn’t just a case of similar aesthetics—it’s a clash of creative integrity, intellectual property, and the legacy of one of PlayStation’s most iconic series.

Sony’s complaint, filed on July 25, 2025, in a California federal court, outlines a damning narrative. According to the filing:

  • Tencent allegedly approached Sony in March 2024 at a gaming conference, pitching a collaboration to develop a new Horizon game.
  • Sony declined the offer, but Tencent reportedly continued development on Light of Motiram—a game Sony claims was already in progress before the pitch.
  • The lawsuit cites near-identical elements: red-haired female protagonists in tribal attire, robotic creatures roaming post-apocalyptic landscapes, and even promotional art that mirrors Horizon Zero Dawn’s iconic visuals.

Sony is seeking up to $150,000 in damages per infringed work, an injunction to halt the game’s release, and the destruction of all infringing materials.

To understand the gravity of this lawsuit, we need to revisit what makes Horizon so special.

  • Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) introduced players to Aloy, a skilled hunter navigating a world overrun by robotic beasts. Set in the 31st century, humanity has regressed into tribal societies after a technological apocalypse caused by self-replicating war machines.
  • Horizon Forbidden West (2022) expanded the universe, diving deeper into the AI-driven terraforming system known as GAIA and its rogue subfunctions like HADES and HEPHAESTUS.
  • The franchise has since grown to include comics, a board game, and even a Netflix adaptation in development.

What sets Horizon apart isn’t just its gameplay—it’s the lore. The series explores themes of ecological collapse, AI ethics, and the rediscovery of lost knowledge. Aloy’s journey is one of resilience, curiosity, and reclaiming humanity’s forgotten past.

The gaming industry has long wrestled with the blurry boundary between homage and theft. From Palworld’s Pokémon-esque creatures to Starfield’s nods to Mass Effect, developers often walk a tightrope between inspiration and infringement.

But Sony’s case against Tencent feels different. It’s not just about gameplay mechanics—it’s about identity. When a game mimics not only the visual style but also the narrative structure and character archetypes of a beloved franchise, it risks misleading players and diluting the original’s cultural impact.

As of now, Light of Motiram is listed on Steam with no confirmed release date. The game promises crossplay across PC, PS5, iOS, and Android, and features “Mechanimals” in a post-human world set in 2068. Whether it will ever see the light of day depends on how this legal battle unfolds.

This lawsuit isn’t just about protecting IP—it’s about preserving the soul of a franchise that has come to represent thoughtful storytelling in gaming. For fans of Horizon, the stakes are high. And for creators everywhere, it’s a reminder that originality still matters.

Games, Gaming, Hardware/Console, News, Playstation

FlexStrike and the Evolution of PlayStation’s First-Party Hardware

Sony’s unveiling of the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick marks a pivotal moment in PlayStation’s hardware history. For the first time in its three-decade legacy, PlayStation is releasing an official first-party fight stick, designed from the ground up for competitive fighting game fans. But this isn’t just a peripheral—it’s a statement. A culmination of Sony’s slow but deliberate expansion into specialized hardware, and a nod to its roots in redefining how we play.

Previously known as Project Defiant, the FlexStrike was officially named just ahead of EVO 2025, the world’s premier fighting game tournament—now owned by Sony itself. Scheduled for release in 2026, the FlexStrike is compatible with PS5 and PC, and features:

  • Mechanical switch buttons for precision input
  • Toolless swappable restrictor gates (square, circle, octagon)
  • PlayStation Link wireless tech for ultra-low latency
  • Dual FlexStrike pairing via a single USB adapter
  • Built-in rechargeable battery and sling carry case
  • Full DualSense input support, including touchpad and PS button wake functionality

This isn’t just a fight stick—it’s a flagship device that reflects Sony’s growing commitment to the fighting game community, especially with titles like Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls on the horizon.

While Sony has long been known for its consoles, its history with first-party accessories is surprisingly rich—and often overlooked. Let’s rewind:

🔹 1994 – The Original PlayStation

  • Launched with the iconic PlayStation controller, introducing the now-legendary △○×□ button layout.
  • Later iterations included the Dual Analog Controller and the revolutionary DualShock, which added vibration and analog sticks.

🔹 2000 – PlayStation 2 Era

  • Sony introduced the EyeToy, a motion-sensing camera that predated Kinect.
  • The Multitap allowed up to 8 players—an early nod to couch co-op culture.

🔹 2006 – PlayStation 3

  • The Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers brought wireless play and motion sensing.
  • Sony also dabbled in niche peripherals like the PlayStation Move, which laid groundwork for VR.

🔹 2016 – PlayStation VR

  • A bold leap into virtual reality, with Sony developing its own headset and motion controllers.
  • The PlayStation Aim Controller followed, tailored for VR shooters.

🔹 2023 – Access Controller

  • A landmark accessibility device, designed in collaboration with disabled gamers to offer customizable inputs.

The FlexStrike isn’t just another accessory—it’s a first-party declaration. For decades, fight sticks were the domain of third-party brands like Hori and Qanba. Sony’s decision to enter this space signals a deeper investment in hardware tailored to genre-specific communities. It’s also a strategic move: with EVO under its belt and Arc System Works developing exclusives, Sony is positioning PlayStation as the home of fighting games.

With the FlexStrike set to launch in 2026, it joins a lineage of PlayStation hardware that’s always pushed boundaries. From the DualShock’s rumble to the PSVR2’s eye-tracking, Sony’s first-party devices have consistently shaped how we interact with games. The FlexStrike is the next chapter—a love letter to arcade culture, competitive spirit, and the players who never stopped believing in the power of the fight.